A universal plug and jack configuration for telephone wiring has been selected for the national standard telephone interconnect system. The universal jacks and plugs are also incorporated into data processing and data transmitting equipment, as well as consumer and business machines, adapting such equipment for interconnection over telephone communication networks.
Many different designs of field installable modular telephone connectors have been developed. The desirable characteristics of a field installable telephone connector include a minimal size, ease of assembly and reliable termination of the connector to telephone wires.
Modular telephone connectors typically include a plurality of interlocking parts including a housing that defines a standard telephone jack, a contact carrier that carries and positions a plurality of insulation displacement contacts for termination to a plurality of wires and a termination cap that positions individual wires for termination within each respective insulation displacement contact. The housing and contact carrier can be formed integrally but are usually manufactured separately and preassembled to form a housing/wire carrier unit that presents the insulation displacement contacts for receipt of the telephone wires when the termination cap is assembled to the housing and contact carrier.
With reference to FIG. 16, a prior art telephone connector is shown having an assembled housing/contact carrier 2 and a termination cap 4. Eight contact pins 6 are arranged in a single row. The termination cap has a corresponding number of slots 8 that cooperate with the pins 6 to terminate up to eight telephone wires (not shown) in the connector. The termination cap is secured to the housing by interlocking tabs and notches located on the termination cap and housing sidewalls, respectively. While this connector has worked quite well, it does have its disadvantages. For example, the contact pins 6 may be damaged or bent either before or during assembly. In addition, because termination tools may damage the exposed contacts, termination should be done by hand, which results in inefficiencies and excessive waste until the mechanic develops adequate experience and technique.
Another type of telephone connector is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,330 to Levy, incorporated herein by reference. This connector includes a housing 40, a contact carrier 50 and a termination cap 30 (see FIGS. 3, 7 and 11). Latches 44 on the housing engaged detents 46 on the termination cap to secure telephone wires to the connector. The contact pins are located closely adjacent a rear surface of the housing, which reduces the possibility of damage to them. The close proximity of the contact pins to the rear surface of the housing, however, requires the telephone wires to be cut flush with the surface 38 of the termination cap before assembly and makes it particularly difficult, if not impossible, to daisy chain telephone connectors together. There is also insufficient room between the contact pins and the housing to permit use of a termination tool. In addition, the latching mechanism has its disadvantages. The latches 44 are spaced from the contacts 52. Thus, the front of the termination cap 30 may tilt upward when the back of the cap is pushed down to engage the latches. To overcome this problem, another latching mechanism (e.g., a notch) may be located at the top, front surface of the termination cap (see FIG. 3) to engage the housing, but this requires precise alignment of the front and back latches to prevent faulty termination.
Another type of telephone connector is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,200 to Chen, incorporated herein by reference. This connector includes a contact carrier 5 having a block 51 into which the contact pins 40 are inserted. The block protects the pins from damage, but no method of securing the caps to the jack assembly is described. Furthermore, many telephone connectors must be received in an opening having a standard width. With this connector, the termination caps cannot be placed fully around the contact protection block 51 without affecting the width of the connector. In addition, any securement of the cap to the assembly must be placed along the block's front or back walls and is subject to dislodgment whenever a telephone wire is pulled or jerked.
In view of the above, it should be appreciated that there is still a need for a telephone connector that protects the contact pins from damage, but which also permits easy and effective termination of telephone wires either manually or with the use of a termination tool.